Disaffected Neo-Nazis Form New Group

May 2, 2005

The rancor between the now marginalized leaders of the National Alliance (NA) and the disaffected members who have left the organization in droves in recent weeks continues, as the two groups battle to control the racist and anti-Semitic legacy that William Pierce left behind. NA members recently purged from the organization by Erich Gliebe and Shaun Walker have created a new group, "National Vanguard." National Vanguard is the name of the magazine and news-oriented Web site run by recently deposed NA figure Kevin Strom.

This new development coincided with an announcement from the West Virginia headquarters of the NA. On April 25, Walker, the Chief Operating Officer of the NA, announced that Chairman Erich Gliebe's "desire to devote more time to his recent marriage and family matters" had pushed him to resign as chairman of the group and that Walker had taken his place. Gliebe will reportedly stay on as the CEO of the NA-owned white power music company, Resistance Records. Walker stated that the "Board of Directors" had approved these moves. This seems unlikely because the board, which was appointed by Pierce before his death in July 2002, is no longer functioning. These moves presumably represent an attempt by Gliebe and Walker to salvage their status in the National Alliance, perhaps under the impression that Gliebe was more disliked than Walker.

That same week, the organizers of the National Vanguard announced they would soon appoint their own board of directors. The new organization is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, near where Kevin Strom lives, suggesting that he is playing a key role in forming the breakaway group.

Since many NA members have in the past expressed an even stronger dislike of Walker than of Gliebe, the move to appoint him as Chairman of the NA signals a further deterioration within the group. At this point, Gliebe and Walker appear to have at best only a handful of supporters. On the other hand, the National Vanguard is appealing to former NA members who have left the group in recent years out of disgust with Gliebe and Walker to consider joining the ranks of the new group. Already, some local NA units have created new Web sites under the National Vanguard banner. It is clear that the goal of the National Vanguard is to supplant the National Alliance.